Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

भवाब्धौ पतितांस्तात उद्धरस्व भवार्णवात् । तीर्थयात्राविधानं च कथयस्व महामते

Transliteration

bhavābdhau patitāṃstāta uddharasva bhavārṇavāt | tīrthayātrāvidhānaṃ ca kathayasva mahāmate

Translation

اے عزیز! جو لوگ بھَو کے سمندر میں گر پڑے ہیں انہیں اُٹھا لے؛ سنسار کے بحر سے انہیں بچا۔ اور اے عظیم رائے والے، تیرتھ یاترا کی صحیح وِدھی بھی بیان فرما۔

Word by Word

• भवाब्धौ: in the ocean of worldly existence
• भवाब्धौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पतितान्: fallen (ones)
• पतितान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle, active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘अस्मान्’ (understood) इति विशेषण

• तात: O dear one / O fatherly one
• तात: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• उद्धरस्व: lift up / rescue
• उद्धरस्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भवार्णवात्: from the ocean of worldly existence
• भवार्णवात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• तीर्थयात्राविधानम्: the procedure for pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्राविधानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थयात्रा + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• कथयस्व: tell (please)
• कथयस्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (a petitioner addressing Prahlāda; next verse begins “Prahlāda uvāca”)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā tīrtha-samūha (Gomatī/Cakratīrtha implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāmati (the wise instructor; immediately followed by Prahlāda’s response)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A supplicant addresses a revered sage/devotee-teacher, pleading for rescue from saṃsāra and requesting the detailed rules of tīrtha pilgrimage.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is framed as compassionate dharma: learning the right tīrtha-rites helps beings cross the ocean of saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces the tīrthayātrā context; the following verses specify the Gomatī tīra associated with Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request is made to teach the ‘tīrthayātrā-vidhāna’ (the formal method of pilgrimage).